Originally published 05:37 p.m., December 5, 2005 Updated 06:31 p.m., December 5, 2005

Douglas County sheriffs deputies are investigating the reported beating of a Kansas University professor who gained recent notoriety for his Internet tirades against Christian fundamentalists.

Kansas University religious studies professor Paul Mirecki reported he was beaten by two men about 6:40 a.m. today on a roadside in rural Douglas County. In a series of interviews late this afternoon, Mirecki said the men who beat him were making references to the controversy that has propelled him into the headlines in recent weeks. Mirecki

Mirecki

I didnt know them, but Im sure they knew me, he said.

Mirecki said he was driving to breakfast when he noticed the men tailgating him in a pickup truck.

I just pulled over hoping they would pass, and then they pulled up real close behind, he said. They got out, and I made the mistake of getting out.

He said the men beat him about the upper body with their fists, and he said he thinks they struck him with a metal object. He was treated and released at Lawrence Memorial Hospital.

Im mostly shaken up, and I got some bruises and sore spots, he said.

Douglas County Sheriffs Officials are classifying the case as an aggravated battery. They wouldnt say exactly where the incident happened, citing the ongoing investigation

The sheriffs department is looking for the suspects, described as two white males between ages 30 and 40, one wearing a red visor and wool gloves, and both wearing jeans. They were last seen in a large pickup truck.

Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 843-TIPS or the sheriffs office at 841-0007.

Mirecki recently wrote online that he planned to teach intelligent design as mythology in an upcoming course. He wrote it would be a nice slap in the big fat face of fundamentalists.

The remarks caused an uproar, Mirecki apologized, and KU announced last week the class would be canceled.

I don't see how skepticism is incompatible with condemnation. I think the majority would agree that if it did actually occur, it should be condemned. There are a sad few who seem to disagree, but I think that's what most of us think. It probably didn't happen (way too many red flags), but if it did, then the people responsible should be held accountable.

"But if an arrest is made, or a perp identified, then I expect the creationists to apologize and loudly condemn the morons."

I won't apologize, but I will (and am) loudly condemn any such behavior.

"I take no pleasure in the physical pummeling of an ideological bubblehead. "

Yes you do:

"Actually, what it looks like is that the position of all materialists and evolutionists is scientifically and morally bankrupt. Look, the guy lost a tooth. He was beaten severely. That proves beyond question evolutionists and materialists are plumb dumb and wrong. It also proves that you had best repent before the rest of us fundies don red baseball hats and wool gloves. Deal with it. Be sure to check the bushes outside before you go to sleep."http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1534152/posts?page=504#504

"I am amused, however, at folks who are all puffed up with self-righteous indignation when their whole philosophy of life entails mere particles in motion due to unguided, unintelligent causes."

Not our *whole philosophy of life*. That is a gross misrepresentation. Especially since most evolutionists are Christian.

I repeat: You gloated over the beating of someone. For a self-proclaimed Christian that makes you a hypocrite.

253
posted on 12/06/2005 7:09:04 AM PST
by CarolinaGuitarman
("There is a grandeur in this view of life...")

The right wing wants blood, period. Theyre not going to stop until they see blood. Theyre not into anything else, he said. Whatever I do, whatever I say, they dont believe anything because thats the way they are... I know what happened. I got the hell beat out of me. They can say what they want.

Well, there you have it. I have to go with the Tawana Brawley-style delusional fantasy (i.e., lie). But if he was roughed up for heckling, so what? Maybe more of these wacko secular humanist bigots would watch themselves if they knew they had to put their money where their mouth is.

But the whole thing sounds like a gay bondage fantasy. Maybe the Reverend Al Sharpton can represent him.

Isn't it interesting, though, that the automatic assumption on your part is that, until saying otherwise, creationists support this? Of course creationists don't advocate violence. This is kind of a "DUH" thing.

What have you seen from me? Skepticism? Nope. Holier-than-thou? No. Address the people you feel are responsible for those attributes, not me.

It didn't even occur to me that the incident could have been faked. Perhaps I don't suspect vehemont anti-God professors as much as I should.

Perhaps you should observe some of the polite feedback I received from evolutionists on my profile, as well as the crown jewel in my gallery of insults -- from a creationist, no less -- when I asked him to be nice.

If you are incapable of recognizing the phenomena of cause and effect in this case, I reckon you are also incapable of recognizing sarcasm. Why not be consistent yourself and attribute this event to a mere matter of course? No sense in becoming all indignant over a few rearranged molecules, right?

"You'll have to show where a fundamentalist on Free Republic says that "slavery is moral". If any-one tries to do that , the admins tend to boot those folk out quickly!"

Well, that is EXACTLY what one said here a little ways back, and he wasn't booted. As I don;t really want to bring that up again here (or have to ping him by naming him) I'll just leave it at that. Most of us were there when it happened, and it was repeated many times.

259
posted on 12/06/2005 7:25:59 AM PST
by CarolinaGuitarman
("There is a grandeur in this view of life...")

This guy sounds like he goes looking for trouble. If it happened, more than likely it was a road rage traffic altercation. How many of us have been tailgaited in traffic? Who pulls over and gets out of the car to confront an aggressive driver in a heated exchange? Is that how any of us would advise our children to handle such situations?

The guy is a kook! From his ranting, it sounds like he wanted it to happen and is just too glad to ham it up for the media.

"Actually, what it looks like is that the position of all materialists and evolutionists is scientifically and morally bankrupt. Look, the guy lost a tooth. He was beaten severely. That proves beyond question evolutionists and materialists are plumb dumb and wrong. It also proves that you had best repent before the rest of us fundies don red baseball hats and wool gloves. Deal with it. Be sure to check the bushes outside before you go to sleep."

Hey Fester, are you the jerk that said this? Is this what all the "fundies" stand for...hate and thinly-veiled threats of personal violence?

Like this bubblehead professor, you're looking for something that isn't there. I only wish to point out the inconsistency of evolutionists who get their panties in a twist when deep down they believe life is merely the result of some unguided, unintelligent cause.

"Like this bubblehead professor, you're looking for something that isn't there. I only wish to point out the inconsistency of evolutionists who get their panties in a twist when deep down they believe life is merely the result of some unguided, unintelligent cause."

You undeniably gloated over the beating of this man. You are pathetic.

273
posted on 12/06/2005 7:45:18 AM PST
by CarolinaGuitarman
("There is a grandeur in this view of life...")

If you don't know sarcasm when you see it, then I hardly think you'll know gloating. You only wish it were so. Like this bubblehead professor, you relish opportunities to bash those who believe differently than yourself, if not physically, then verbally. The point seems to escape you and your cheerleaders that this bubblehead professor used inflammatory language. It's possible a few folks out there took him at his word. Save your self-righteous indignation for some who cares; for someone to whom it applies.

Or do you really think I am so dense as to believe the physical beating of a bubble-headed ideologue scores points for creationism?

But I respect all of the various religions mankind has invented thoughtout the millenia in the same fashion.

If you take the trouble to look into them, not all religions are created equal. For believers, the first question is truth. For a bystander, the first question ought to be, what do they teach? What are their fruits? Contrary to what you suggest, Islam has a long historical record of violence, intolerance, slavery, invasion, forcible conversion, enslavement, and mistreatment of women. Some Christians are guilty of similar behavior, but their religion doesn't teach them that that is right.

If you take the trouble to investigation, you will find that Muhammed himself was a killer, a rapist, an enslaver, and an oathbreaker, but all these deeds were excused and glorified IN THE EARLIEST WRITINGS because they were done to "infidels." Not all Muslims are bad people by any means, but that's usually because they don't fully live their religion or because they are deluded about their religion.

The fruits of Islam through the centuries have generally been ignorance and laziness--men served by four wives and a company of slaves. When they have enjoyed periods of high civilization, it has generally been a matter of living off the remains of civilizations they have conquered and eventually ground into dust. The fruits of Christianity have been a much greater degree of freedom and independence, plus the rise of science and technology in the west that has never been matched anywhere else in the world for more than short periods that were not followed up.

No. You misjudge the tone and character of my words so you can do a little gloating of your own. Or do you really think I believe broken teeth and bruises score points for creationism? Do you really think I am ready to don a red hat and wool gloves to make a point? LOL!

I think maybe the confrontation happened, and that there were two men in a pickup. But I seriously doubt that they beat him up because they were Christians.

Most likely they were tailgaiting, he got a fit of road rage, they both pulled over, he stupidly got out of his car and started to berate them, and they beat him up.

I have occasionally been tailgated by pickups full of drunken rednecks over the course of a number of years, and usually I pull over and let them go by. I still remember one instance when a couple of kids flashed by and, because I didn't pull over quickly enough, the kid in the driver's seat opened his door--at around 80 MPH--leaned out on it, and mooned me. I was a bit afraid of an accident, but on consideration I thought it was pretty funny.

I suspect an angry guy was stupid enough to confront two angry guys, and got beat up for his pains. I doubt it had a thing to do with his anti-Christian views.

This evo-nut plays the "don't post to me" "second warning" "I'm telling Nanny" game so you're wise to blank out the "to" box or you'll find yourself being part of a nuisance call to moderators......

Are you afraid to actually ping people or do you just enjoy talking to yourself?

Well, if the evos insist that Merrick (who isn't even a scientist) is the victim of a Creationist Hate Crime, we need to support LE with all we've got to get the whole story out, and these two Creationists (white guys in ball caps with gloves in a red pickup truck!) arrested!

Just a day or two ago I was watching a couple of evos here on FR trying to figure out how to get conservative scientists to put Dems (who are presumably pro-evo) into office to spite these awful people who won't sign on to evolution dogma. If anyone wants the reference, email. I think FR is being used by leftists who think they have a way to chip away at GOP contitutency.

Just a day or two ago I was watching a couple of evos here on FR trying to figure out how to get conservative scientists to put Dems (who are presumably pro-evo) into office to spite these awful people who won't sign on to evolution dogma. If anyone wants the reference, email.

Hmmmm, is Mamz actively lying about stuff she reads, or is she merely too damn thickheaded to get it? So many choices, so many choices...nope, can't decide. Go ahead and post it here in public, so we can figure out which one it is.

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